Kinetic energy rod warhead deployment system

ABSTRACT

A system and method for destroying both threats and decoys. A number of warheads each produce a cloud of penetrators. A tracking subsystem determines the location in space of a number of threats and decoys. A computational subsystem is responsive to the tracking subsystem and deploys the warheads into the paths of the threats and decoys at times sufficient for each warhead to travel to a location in space proximate the trajectory path of a threat or decoy and for the penetrators of the warhead to blossom into a cloud having a predetermined radius.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 10/370,892 filed Feb. 20, 2003 which claims priority of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/406,828 filed Aug. 29, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to improvements in kinetic energy rod warheads.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Destroying missiles, aircraft, re-entry vehicles and other targets falls into three primary classifications: “hit-to-kill” vehicles, blast fragmentation warheads, and kinetic energy rod warheads.

“Hit-to-kill” vehicles are typically launched into a position proximate a re-entry vehicle or other target via a missile such as the Patriot, Trident or MX missile. The kill vehicle is navigable and designed to strike the re-entry vehicle to render it inoperable. Countermeasures, however, can be used to avoid the “hit-to-kill” vehicle. Moreover, biological warfare bomblets and chemical warfare submunition payloads are carried by some threats and one or more of these bomblets or chemical submunition payloads can survive and cause heavy casualties even if the “hit-to-kill” vehicle accurately strikes the target.

Blast fragmentation type warheads are designed to be carried by existing missiles. Blast fragmentation type warheads, unlike “hit-to-kill” vehicles, are not navigable. Instead, when the missile carrier reaches a position close to an enemy missile or other target, a pre-made band of metal on the warhead is detonated and the pieces of metal are accelerated with high velocity and strike the target. The fragments, however, are not always effective at destroying the target and, again, biological bomblets and/or chemical submunition payloads survive and cause heavy casualties.

The textbooks by the inventor hereof, R. Lloyd, “Conventional Warhead Systems Physics and Engineering Design,” Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics (AIAA) Book Series, Vol. 179, ISBN 1-56347-255-4, 1998, and “Physics of Direct Hit and Near Miss Warhead Technology”, Volume 194, ISBN 1-56347-473-5, incorporated herein by this reference, provide additional details concerning “hit-to-kill” vehicles and blast fragmentation type warheads. Chapter 5 and Chapter 3 of these textbooks propose a kinetic energy rod warhead.

The two primary advantages of a kinetic energy rod warhead is that 1) it does not rely on precise navigation as is the case with “hit-to-kill” vehicles and 2) it provides better penetration then blast fragmentation type warheads.

To date, however, kinetic energy rod warheads have not been widely accepted nor have they yet been deployed or fully designed. The primary components associated with a theoretical kinetic energy rod warhead is a hull, a projectile core or bay in the hull including a number of individual lengthy cylindrical projectiles, and an explosive charge in the hull about the projectile bay with sympathetic explosive shields. When the explosive charge is detonated, the projectiles are deployed. See “Aligned Rod Lethality Enhanced Concept for Kill Vehicles,” R. Lloyd “Aligned Rod Lethality Enhancement Concept For Kill Vehicles” 10^(th) oth AIAA/BMDD TECHNOLOGY CONF., July 23-26, Williamsburg, Va., 2001 incorporated herein by this reference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new kinetic energy rod warhead deployment system.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a kinetic energy rod warhead deployment system which is capable of destroying multiple spaced apart target clusters but requiring only a single carrier missile.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a kinetic energy rod warhead deployment system which is highly versatile.

The invention results from the realization that a more versatile kinetic energy rod warhead deployment system capable of destroying spaced apart target clusters but requiring only a single carrier missile is achieved by packaging projectiles in a number of housings jettisoned from the carrier missile and each placed in the vicinity of an individual target so that the projectiles, when deployed from each jettisoned housing, lie in the trajectory paths of all of the targets.

The subject invention, however, in other embodiments, need not achieve all these objectives and the claims hereof should not be limited to structures or methods capable of achieving these objectives.

This invention features a system for destroying both threats and decoys. One preferred system includes a plurality of warheads each producing a cloud of penetrators. A tracking subsystem determines the location in space of a number of threats and decoys. A computational subsystem is responsive to the tracking subsystem and deploys the warheads into the paths of the threats and decoys at times sufficient for each warhead to travel to a location in space proximate the trajectory path of a threat or decoy and for the penetrators of the warhead to blossom into a cloud having a predetermined radius.

In one embodiment, a warhead includes a plurality of lengthy individual projectiles therein and means for deploying said projectiles. The means for deploying the projectiles may include an explosive charge core surrounding by the projectiles, an explosive charge within the warhead surrounding the projectiles or explosive charge sections surrounding the projectiles. Another warhead includes a plurality of penetrators, a propellant disposed behind the plurality of penetrators, an igniter for the propellant, and a housing open in front of the plurality of penetrators and enclosing a portion of the penetrators, the propellant, and the igniter.

One method for destroying both threats and decoys in accordance with this invention features the steps of detecting the location in space of a number of threats and decoys, determining the optimal radius of a cloud of penetrators for individual warheads deployed into the paths of the threats and the decoys, and deploying the warheads at times sufficient for each warhead to travel to a location in space proximate the trajectory path of a threat or decoy. In one embodiment, deploying the warheads may include spinning the warheads to impart a velocity to the warheads. In another embodiment, deploying the warheads may include ejecting the warheads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the typical deployment of a “hit-to-kill” vehicle in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the typical deployment of a prior art blast fragmentation type warhead;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the deployment of a theoretical kinetic energy rod warhead system;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the deployment of a kinetic energy rod warhead as a replacement for a blast fragmentation type warhead in accordance with the subject invention;

FIGS. 5A-5C are schematic views showing the ejection of a single jettison housing from a missile and the deployment of a plurality of projectiles in accordance with the system and method of the subject invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the primary components associated with one type ofjettison housing in accordance with the subject invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the primary components associated with another embodiment of ajettison housing in accordance with the subject invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the primary components with still another embodiment of a jettison housing in accordance with the subject invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a carrier missile with a number ofjettison housings in accordance with the subject invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the ejection of a number ofjettison housings from a single missile and the deployment of the projectiles of each jettison housing to destroy object clusters deployed far apart in space in accordance with the system and method of this invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing how, in one embodiment, the housings are jettisoned from the carrier;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing an explosive charge for jettisoning the housings from the carrier;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a propulsion subsystem for jettison of the housings from the carrier;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing a missile carrier with a number of warheads in accordance with the subject invention;

FIG. 15 is a schematic conceptual view showing the deployment of a warhead from the missile carrier of FIG. 14 into the trajectory path of a potential target in accordance with the subject invention; and

FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one particular embodiment of a warhead in accordance with the subject invention.

DISCLOSURE OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Aside from the preferred embodiment or embodiments disclosed below, this invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. If only one embodiment is described herein, the claims hereof are not to be limited to that embodiment. Moreover, the claims hereof are not to be read restrictively unless there is clear and convincing evidence manifesting a certain exclusion, restriction, or disclaimer.

As discussed in the Background section above, “hit-to-kill” vehicles are typically launched into a position proximate a re-entry vehicle 10, FIG. 1 or other target via a missile 12. “Hit-to-kill” vehicle 14 is navigable and designed to strike re-entry vehicle 10 to render it inoperable. Countermeasures, however, can be used to avoid the kill vehicle. Vector 16 shows kill vehicle 14 missing re-entry vehicle 10. Moreover, nuclear, biological bomblets and chemical submunition payloads 18 are carried by some threats and one or more of these bomblets or chemical submunition payloads 18 can survive, as shown at 20, and cause heavy casualties even if kill vehicle 14 does accurately strike target 10.

Turning to FIG. 2, blast fragmentation type warhead 32 is designed to be carried by missile 30. When the missile reaches a position close to an enemy re-entry vehicle (RV), missile, or other target 36, a pre-made band of metal or fragments on the warhead is detonated and the pieces of metal 34 strike target 36. The fragments, however, are not always effective at destroying the submunition target and, again, biological bomblets and/or chemical submunition payloads can survive and cause heavy casualties.

The textbooks by the inventor hereof, R. Lloyd, “Conventional Warhead Systems Physics and Engineering Design,” Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics (AIAA) Book Series, Vol. 179, ISBN 1-56347-255-4, 1998, and “Physics of Direct Hit and Near Miss Warhead Technology” Volume 194, ISBN 1-56347-477-5, incorporated herein by this reference, provide additional details concerning “hit-to-kill” vehicles and blast fragmentation type warheads. Chapter 5 and Chapter 3 of these textbooks propose a kinetic energy rod warhead.

In general, a kinetic energy rod warhead, in accordance with this invention, can be added to kill vehicle (interceptor) 14′, FIG. 3 to deploy lengthy cylindrical projectiles 40 directed at re-entry vehicle 10 or another target. In addition, the prior art blast fragmentation type warhead shown in FIG. 2 can be replaced with or supplemented with a kinetic energy rod warhead 50, FIG. 4 to deploy projectiles 40 at target 36.

Two key advantages of kinetic energy rod warheads as theorized is that 1) they do not rely on precise navigation as is the case with “hit-to-kill” vehicles and 2) they provide better penetration then blast fragmentation type warheads.

The idea behind the subject invention is to deploy projectiles in the trajectory path of a target from a jettison housing or housings ejected from a carrier such that the projectiles are placed in the trajectory path of a target or targets as shown in FIGS. 5A-5C. Thus, the deployment system of this invention features navigatable carrier 50 such as a missile including jettison housing 52 and means for ejecting jettison housing 52 in the vicinity of target 54 to be destroyed as shown in FIG. 5B. Jettison housing 52 includes a plurality of projectiles 56, FIG. 5C therein which are deployed in the trajectory path P of target 54 as shown.

In one embodiment, jettison housing 52 a, FIG. 6 includes hull 60 and therein explosive charge core 62 surrounded by projectiles 56. Upon detonation of explosive charge 62, hull 60 fragments and projectiles 56 are deployed as shown in FIG. 5C. In another embodiment, jettison housing 52 b, FIG. 7 includes hull 70 encasing explosive charge 72 surrounding projectile core 74. Upon detonation of explosive charge 72, hull 70 breaks up and projectile core 74 is deployed as shown in FIG. 5C.

In still another embodiment, jettison housing 52 c, FIG. 8 includes explosive charge sections 80 a-80 d surrounding projectiles 82 and separated by detonation cord 84. In this way, the projectiles can all be deployed in one primary direction by detonating, for example, the detonation cord between explosive charge sections 80 b and 80 c, 80 a and 80 b, and between 80 d and 80 c to deploy explosive charge sections 80 b and 80 c. Then, explosive charge sections 80 a and 80 d are detonated to deploy projectiles 82 in the general direction of vector 86.

Thus, the means for deploying the projectiles in accordance with this invention can vary depending on the specific design and purpose of the jettison housing and in accordance with the state of the art. See also U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/301,420, 09/938,022 and 09/938,022, incorporated herein by this reference. These patent applications describe other types of deployment systems. See also the application filed on an even date herewith entitled “Kinetic Energy Rod Warhead with Imploding Charge for Isotropic Firing of the Penetrators” by the same inventor.

It is preferred that the missile carrier include a number of jettison housings as shown in FIG. 9 which can be selectively ejected each to be placed in the vicinity of a number of potential and actual targets as shown in FIG. 10. Thus, jettison housing 52′ is ejected in the vicinity of decoy cluster 54 a, FIG. 10, jettison housing 52″ is ejected in the vicinity of actual target 54 b (e.g., a re-entry vehicle), jettison housing 52′″ is ejected in the vicinity of decoy cluster 54 c, and jettison housing 52′″ is ejected in the vicinity of decoy cluster 54 d.

The projectiles or rods of each jettison housing, once deployed, are now in the trajectory path of each target 54 a-54 d and will destroy each target.

The means for ejecting each jettison housing can vary depending on the design criteria. At least three different jettison technologies could be used to deploy the warhead housing. A predictor fuse can be used to determine which object is a threat. The guidance system of the missile is able to computer range and angle of the objects relative to the missile system. Based on this data, a time-to-go is computed. The jettison housing is deployed to the space and initiated ahead of the incoming objects. This creates a cloud of projectiles that kill all the enemy objects.

One ejection concept is to deploy the housings by spinning the missile. This generates an angular rotation of all the housings. The fuse determines which housing to deploy relative to the position of all the object clouds. The spinning energy is converted to linear energy and velocity by releasing the housing while it is spinning. The spinning housing is released and is still spinning as it approaches it intercept point. The projectiles are then released with a linear shaped charge that cuts a retaining band or they are explosively deployed. If rods are used, they are perfectly aligned after angular deployment because the housing contains a high angular velocity. The rods are deployed with perfect spacing as shown in FIG. 11 where v is the deployment velocity and w is the angular velocity.

The housings could also be deployed with an explosive. An explosive arc 80, FIG. 12 is placed around the housing 52 and given the correct time-to-go, the housing is explosively launched from the missile. The same fuse logic would be employed as the spinning concept, except a small explosive change would be used for deployment. The explosive change would be designed thin enough with a proper buffer to protect the housing from damage during initial deployment. Polyurethane foam buffer 82 is used to help protect the housing 52 from explosive damage.

Another ejection concept is a propulsion system 90, FIG. 13 for each housing (e.g., a thruster). Each housing would contain a small propulsion system that would accelerate the housing to its correct point in space. Once it has reached this point, then the rods are deployed with a small center core of explosives as shown in FIG. 6.

The projectiles or rods within the jettison housings may be lengthy cylinders or may have special shapes as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/162,498 filed Jun. 4, 2002 and incorporated herein by this reference.

The advantages of such a system wherein the projectiles are housed in housings jettisoned from a carrier missile include the ability to destroy multiple target clusters spaced apart in space with only one carrier missile. Thus, the method of this invention features navigating carrier missile 50, FIG. 10 proximate the targets, ejecting a housing containing a plurality of projectiles into the trajectory path of each target as shown in FIG. 10, and deploying the projectiles of each jettison housing to destroy each target.

In one preferred embodiment, navigatable carrier 100, FIG. 14 includes a plurality of warheads 102 each producing a cloud of penetrators which may be in the form of the lengthy projectiles discussed above or may be other types of penetrators such as particles or fragments. Tracker subsystem 104 detects the location in space of threats (e.g., reentry vehicles) and also decoys as shown in FIG. 10. Computational subsystem 106 is responsive to tracker subsystem 104 and is configured (e.g., programmed) to deploy warheads 102 into the paths of the threats and decoys at times sufficient for each warhead to travel to a location in space proximate the trajectory path of a target or decoy and for the penetrators of the warheads to blossom into a cloud having a predetermined, typically optimum, radius.

As shown in FIG. 15, it cannot always be or assuredly ascertained whether target 110 is an actual threat (e.g., a reentry vehicle as shown at 112) or a decoy. In accordance with the subject invention, however, it does not matter as carrier 100 includes a sufficient number of warheads 102 to destroy all the targets whether they constitute an actual threat or instead constitute decoys.

The cloud 116 of individual penetrators 118 must have an optimal predetermined radius in order for the density of the penetrators to ensure the destruction of target 110. The spray pattern density of penetrators 118, in turn, is directly affected by several variables such as the distance of deployed warhead 102 from target 110, the velocity of target 110, the time it takes for warhead 102 to travel from carrier 100 to the position shown in FIG. 15 in the trajectory path P of target 110, the time at which the penetrators are deployed from warhead 102, the number of penetrators, and their size or sizes. In other words, computational subsystem 106, FIG. 14 receives from tracking subsystem 104 the position, trajectory, and velocity of target 110. Based on the position of carrier 100 and the information received from the tracking subsystem, the computational subsystem calculates the appropriate time to deploy warhead 102 into the trajectory path P of target 110 and also the appropriate time to deploy the penetrators of warhead 102 to achieve a cloud 116 of penetrators 118 of a predetermined radius.

Computational subsystem 106, FIG. 14 may employ the following calculations: $\begin{matrix} {t = {\frac{d}{V_{1}} + \frac{R}{V_{2}}}} & (1) \end{matrix}$ where t is the time at which warhead 102 is ejected from carrier 100, d is the distance from carrier 100 to the deployed position of warhead 102, R is the radius of cloud 116, V₂ is the velocity of the penetrators with respect to warhead 102, and V₁ is the velocity of the warhead with respect to carrier 100.

Also, $\begin{matrix} {D = {V_{R}\left\lbrack {\frac{d}{V_{1}} + \frac{R}{V_{2}}} \right\rbrack}} & (2) \end{matrix}$ where D is the distance from target 110 to warhead 102 and V_(R) is the relative velocity of the engagement, d/V₁ is the time to eject the warhead and R/V₂ is the time to deploy the projectiles to the correct radius R. The distance-to-go (D) is the distance between the missile and the target. This distance allows the time for the warhead unit to be deployed to the predicted miss distance and allows deployment of projectiles to the desired radius (R). This radius R is called the encounter volume which is the area that the target is expected to be when taking all missile errors into account.

V₁, V₂, and VR are known, and D, d, R, and t are to be optimized by computational subsystem 106, FIG. 14 for the greatest lethality.

Deployment of the warheads from carrier 100 and deployment of the penetrators from each warhead will also depend on the configuration of each warhead and its projectiles, the warhead ejection concept employed, and the penetrator deployment method employed.

In one embodiment, small 1-2 lb warhead 120, includes cylindrical open ended housing 122 including propellant 123 behind a number of small penetrators 124 (fragments or reactive particles). Igniter 126 detonates propellant 122 ejecting penetrators 124 out of the open end of housing 122 producing a cloud of penetrators as discussed supra. Electronic subsystem 130 is programmed or otherwise signaled by computational subsystem 106, FIG. 14 to initiate igniter 126, FIG. 15 according to the computations made by computational subsystem 106, FIG. 14 to optimize lethality.

Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. The words “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and “with” as used herein are to be interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible embodiments. Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

In addition, any amendment presented during the prosecution of the patent application for this patent is not a disclaimer of any claim element presented in the application as filed: those skilled in the art cannot reasonably be expected to draft a claim that would literally encompass all possible equivalents, many equivalents will be unforeseeable at the time of the amendment and are beyond a fair interpretation of what is to be surrendered (if anything), the rationale underlying the amendment may bear no more than a tangential relation to many equivalents, and/or there are many other reasons the applicant can not be expected to describe certain insubstantial substitutes for any claim element amended. 

1. A system for destroying both threats and decoys, the system comprising: a plurality of warheads each producing a cloud of penetrators; a tracking subsystem for determining the location in space of a number of threats and decoys; and a computational subsystem, responsive to the tracking subsystem, for deploying the warheads into the paths of the threats and decoys at times sufficient for each warhead to travel to a location in space proximate the trajectory path of a threat or decoy and for the penetrators of the warhead to blossom into a cloud having a predetermined radius.
 2. The system of claim 1 in which a warhead includes a plurality of lengthy individual projectiles therein and means for deploying said projectiles.
 3. The system of claim 2 in which the means for deploying the projectiles includes an explosive charge core surrounding by the projectiles.
 4. The system of claim 2 in which the means for deploying the projectiles includes an explosive charge within the warhead surrounding the projectiles.
 5. The system of claim 2 in which the means for deploying the projectiles includes explosive charge sections surrounding the projectiles.
 6. The system of claim 1 in which a warhead includes: a plurality of penetrators; a propellant disposed behind the plurality of penetrators; an igniter for the propellant; and a housing open in front of the plurality of penetrators and enclosing a portion of the penetrators, the propellant, and the igniter.
 7. A method of destroying both threats and decoys, the method comprising: detecting the location in space of a number of threats and decoys; determining the optimal radius of a cloud of penetrators for individual warheads deployed into the paths of the threats and the decoys; and deploying the warheads at times sufficient for each warhead to travel to a location in space proximate the trajectory path of a threat or decoy.
 8. The method of claim 7 in which deploying the warheads includes spinning the warheads to impart a velocity to the warheads.
 9. The method of claim 7 in which deploying the warheads includes ejecting the warheads. 